Hakob Sanasaryan: Armenia has chosen the path of destroying its water resources

by
Karina Manukyan

Monday, July 21, 17:48

Armenia has chosen the path of destroying its water resources, Head of the Green Union of Armenia Hakob Sanasaryan has told ArmInfo.

The key threat to the country's water resources is the rapid development of the mining industry. "Almost all the tailing dumps of Armenia are in the riverbeds and this contains serious risks. Heavy metals and toxic elements penetrate into the rivers and then into reservoirs and irrigation systems", says Sanasaryan.

He points out the rivers Vokhchi, Ayri, Katsakh, which are contaminated by the mining tails and which, in turn, pollute the reservoirs and the irrigation systems. Sanasaryan says that the Armanis tailing dump contaminates the river Dzoraget, and the river Nahatak is completely destroyed by the tails of the Shamlukh deposit.

The expert adds that heavy metals can cause mutation among the fish. Moreover, toxic elements penetrate into the soil and then into the food chains through the irrigation systems. "The value of fresh water is rising and the term "water dollars" is becoming more and more popular with every passing year. Meanwhile, Armenia has firmly chosen the path of destroying its water resources. If we fail to stop that process now, we will face serious problems in the future", he says.